Can I do something if I lose my personal injury case?

On behalf of Law Office of Patrick E. O'Neill, PSC posted in personal injury on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Many attorneys offer to collect nothing in the way of a fee for their services if a Jackson, Kentucky, resident files a personal injury claim but winds up getting no compensation.

However, this is probably of little relief to the accident victim, who in all likelihood needed money from the claim in order to be able to pay medical bills, lost income and the like. Not getting compensation in a personal injury case, particularly if a judge or jury made a legal mistake, can mean that one is unfairly put in dire financial straits.

Fortunately, and like other states, Kentucky has a process through which a victim can appeal a court's final decisions is they are not favorable.

It is important to understand, however, that an appeal is not a do-over of one's case. In general, an appeal will instead entail a group of other judges putting their fresh eyes on the case to make sure there were no legal mistakes or misunderstandings. If these appellate judges do notice something that requires correction, they may change the result of the case, order another trial or take other corrective steps.

Appeals, however, are not simply a matter of writing to the appellate court and explaining one's problem with the result of the case. Appeals are themselves complicated legal proceedings with their own set of rules, procedures and practices.

Not knowing or following these rules can cause significant trouble with one's legal claim and, in the worst case scenario, even mean a person loses the option of appealing a bad result. For this reason, it is advisable to seek the counsel of an experienced Kentucky attorney who knows how to handle appeals.

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